Pedestrian bridge construction
Pedestrian bridge construction to begin
The construction of the much-anticipated Jones Bridge downstream of Morrison Dam is about to begin. The construction work at the pedestrian bridge site is to begin as early as the week of October 22, 2018, according to Kate Monk, ABCA’s Manager of Stewardship, Land and Education. Sections of the MacNaughton-Morrison Trail will be closed during construction and installation. People must avoid the pedestrian bridge area, downstream of Morrison Dam, during the period of construction, according to Monk.
Ausable Bayfield Conservation will post Notices of Service Disruptions related to the trail on the abca.ca website on this web page link:
Donations are still needed to fund the project. More than $235,000 has already been donated or pledged and another $65,000 is needed.
To donate, call 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610 or donate by PayPal by clicking button below:
You may also call one of your community representatives on the community working group.
The continuing fundraising campaign is not slowing down the progress of this project ‘building a bridge to a safer, more active community.’ Iron Bridge Fabrication Inc. of Brunner, Ontario is manufacturing the bridge structure. The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) has selected VanDriel Excavating Inc., of the Clinton area, as the winning tender to do the work needed to erect the bridge including pouring abutments and installation of the bridge. B. M. Ross and Associates Limited, of Goderich, is the project’s consulting engineer.
An on-site meeting was held at the bridge site on October 15, 2018 with representatives of the conservation authority, the contractor, the engineer, the Pedestrian Bridge Community Working Group, Friends of the South Huron Trail, and Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation (ABCF). Work is proceeding on schedule. Construction and installation of the bridge should be completed before the end of November, according to Monk. There may be additional work and ancillary structures completed in the new year.
The bridge is to be called Jones Bridge and it is dedicated by Donna Jones, in loving memory of Ted Jones. Ted Jones was a dedicated community volunteer and conservationist and a long-time director of the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation and a long-time member of the Exeter Lions Club.
Some trail users currently have to walk beside vehicle traffic beside the roadway over Morrison Dam in order to enjoy both sections of the South Huron Trail. The new pedestrian bridge will change that by offering a safer, more scenic alternative. The proposed bridge will be suitable for pedestrians, cyclists, strollers, wheelchairs, the South Huron Trail Mobile (for people with limited mobility), and winter visitors.
Donations to the Jones Bridge project, made directly to Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation, are eligible for charitable gift receipts for income tax purposes. To learn more, or to donate, visit abca.ca or phone 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610. You are also invited to contact any of the members of the community working group. Their names are in the bridge brochure available online and in printed copies.
PHOTO CAPTION:
MEETING AT FUTURE SITE OF JONES BRIDGE:
A meeting was held on October 15, 2018, downstream of Morrison Dam, at the future site of the Pedestrian Bridge on the South Huron Trail. Shown at the on-site meeting, from left to right in photo, are: Alec Scott, consultant; Kate Monk, ABCA Manager of Stewardship, Land and Education; Peter Darbishire and Lorne Rideout, Pedestrian Bridge Community Working Group members; Tommy Kokas, ABCA Water Resources E.I.T.; Daniel King, ABCA Regulations Coordinator; Ryan Munn, P.Eng., B. M. Ross and Associates Limited; and Derrick VanDriel, VanDriel Excavating Inc.